Nightmares
by XphiaDP
Summary: He didn't realize he'd even grabbed his phone until there was a tired voice answering on the other end. "Neku...? What's wrong?" In which Neku turns to an old friend in the aftereffects of a nightmare.


He jolted upright, hands clamping over his ears. Everything was too loud, the concrete hard under him, people streaming past paying no attention to the teenager on the ground. In mere seconds, his phone would buzz. and a timer would be painfully imprinted on his hand. In moments, he would be back to fighting for his life against hordes of graffiti monsters and sound.

Then he blinked.

And it was gone.

Bright lights and tall buildings melted into the muted tones of his bedroom walls, his own art plastered over them. Noise faded to soft orchestral undertones playing from a small radio on his desk. He stared at it before falling back onto his bed with a small groan. Images still flashed in his brain, phantom pains and mental echoes drawing him from the present.

He didn't realize he'd even grabbed his phone before a tired voice was answering at the other end.

"Neku…?" Soft, a little scratchy, he'd probably woken her up then. "What's wrong?"

He took in a shuddering breath and ran a hand through his hair. What time was it anyways? The blurry numbers of a digital clock blinked 3:28 at him and he muttered a sharp curse under his breath. "Sorry, Shiki. I didn't realize what time it was. I'll just—"

"Stop." She sounded more awake and he heard shifting on the other end of the line as if she was sitting up. There was a small click, one he recognized as the lamp by her bed. "It must have been pretty bad if you're apologizing."

She was smiling. He could hear it. He could also hear the concern and knew the question was coming before she said it.

There was a small pause then, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Neku sighed again and dragged himself out of bed, padding over to his window. The lights of the city shone faintly through his curtains and he leaned against the cool glass. The carpet almost felt fake under his bare feet.

"It's stupid," he muttered and before she could start to protest, he was speaking again. "We were back in the Game. That's all. It wasn't even that third week either with that entire mess with the O-Pins. It was just a normal week."

Shiki was quiet for a moment. "It's not stupid, and those weeks were anything but normal, and you know it," she eventually decided on. "Even still, a normal week in the Game is fighting for your life. That type of stuff sticks with you, especially if you went through it all three times."

"It's been years. I should be over it."

She huffed and he resisted the childish urge to pout at the sound. "You were fighting for your life, Neku. People don't just _get over that _no matter how long it's been. It's alright if you get shaken up by it every now and again."

"But-"

"No buts, Neku. You're human and have emotions. I thought we already figured all this out back when we were actually in the Game. It's alright to feel. It's alright to still be hurt. So don't you dare go back to pulling the tough guy and block it all out."

He tugged at his hair and just let the words churn in his brain before he sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's just—"

"Hard, I know," Shiki finished. "I still get the nightmares too and I only had to play through that one week really."

"And then I brought you bac-"

She cut him off again. "Stop. Nope. Stop it right there. Don't blame yourself again. I'm here, alive and safe, so don't you even think about it."

Could glares be sent through phone call? Neku swore he could feel it. Nonetheless, he still felt his lips beginning to twitch into a smile at her forceful tone. The tension finally began to ease from his shoulders. "Are you ever going to let me finish a sentence?" he asked, voice teasing.

"I let you finish that one," she teased right back, and he huffed a laugh into the phone, rolling his eyes.

"Not what I meant, Stalker." He paused, head leaning back to press against the window. "But thanks… I needed that."

"I know," she chirped. "But do we really have to go through this entire song and dance whenever either of us have a nightmare? It's almost the same conversation every time."

The smallest of smiles quirked onto his lips at that one. It really was. The conversation was a familiar, but much welcomed one after memories like _that. _Something about the Game always reduced them back to stubborn teenagers again. Both of them thought it was stupid while the other had to remind them that what they went through wasn't just something they could ever gloss over. One refused for a while until the other made them see sense.

The only times the formula changed was when things got particularly bad, usually when things centered around that third week. Those calls were quiet, understanding, and most of the time ended with the both of them meeting at Hachiko no matter the time of night and just relishing the fact that they were alive and taking in each other's company. Often times, words weren't needed. Close proximity worked just as well for a calming effect. The Game may have ended for the both of them, but their partnership had not.

Thankfully, those nights had been few and far between, especially in more recent years.

"If it works, don't fix it."

She laughed quietly at the other end of the line and they both went silent for a moment, just enjoying the other's company. He heard soft flute and harp from the radio.

"I can't stand silence anymore," he eventually said.

Shiki hummed softly. "Me neither."

"I still hate noise," he stated as if his strong dislike for silence suddenly canceled out his hate for static and loud sounds. "It's just… I can't help feeling like something's wrong when it all goes quiet. The city has its own music and to just not hear any of it…"

"I know what you mean," she said knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Maybe you can ask Joshua to record and send you some of the city's music. That'll help with the homesickness."

And wasn't that a thought… Sure, Josh would be a little prick about it all, but he understood. When it came to things like this, the normally annoying angel would tone it back and comply. He'd been in this longer and he knew what it was like.

"I'll shoot him a text in the morning." A pause. "Well, later morning."

"Don't you have an eight AM class?"

"Yeah, and it's going to be absolute _hell_," Neku groaned at the realization and wondered if he could afford skipping. Probably not but the prospect was tempting.

"Then go back to sleep dummy." She probably would have shoved him had he been within shoving range. "Maybe you can get a few hours in still."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah… I'll try. Sorry I woke you."

She scoffed on the other end of the line. "It's fine. Besides, it's my day off tomorrow."

Neku nodded. "Right, your internship has weird days. Whatever. I'll be back in town to catch the fashion show."

"You really don't have to come all the way back for that. Barely any of my stuff's being shown anyways 'cause I'm still technically a beginner."

"It's still in there so I'm still coming. I'll catch you then?" he asked, starting to head back to his bed.

"Yeah. I'll see you then," she said and he could hear the grin in her voice. The sound caused his own lips to lift. "Night, Neku."

"Night, Shiki. Tell Piggy night for me too."

He hung up to the typical protest of "He's a _cat, _Neku!" and he could only chuckle as he settled down to fall back asleep.

The Game had been a hellscape and he never once wanted to step foot in the Underground again… But it had given him Shiki and his other friends and that was enough.

That was enough.


End file.
